Genius! Guy invents ergonomically efficient device for napping at work

While plenty of people sleep at home, a good chunk of them also sleep at the office. According to a recent poll, one in five workers admits to falling asleep at their desk, with Wednesday being the most likely day employees will nod off.

Since taking a quick power nap at your cubicle is going to happen anyway, why not make it comfortable? Two Israeli designers have a solution. Assaf Israel, a graduate of the Bezalel Academy of Art & Design in Jerusalem, and architect Sharon Liverant, an alum of the Technion Institute in Haifa, have invented "For the Rest." The ergonomically efficient device serves as a desk partition that can also be folded into a convenient napping pillow.

'For The Rest' can be transformed from a desk divider that gives privacy, to a platform for relaxation in just two simple steps. (Photo: Joynout)

Sara C. Mednick, PhD is the author of "Take a Nap! Change Your Life" and a sleep expert. "You can get incredible benefits from 15 to 20 minutes of napping," she told WebMD. "You reset the system and get a burst of alertness and increased motor performance. That's what most people really need to stave off sleepiness and get an energy boost."

Assaf and Sharon wanted to use “existing elements inside the office and spare the need for a special resting area or adding a new furniture to those which are already available.” The two – who work for Joynout, a design company based in the coastal Israeli city of Tel Aviv – are hoping to bring the napping tool to market soon.

The 'Daydream' is a minimalistic, multi-functional seat that was invented in Israel. (Photo: Joynout)

In the meantime, finding new ways to relax has become a calling card for Assaf. He helped design the Daydream, a foldable device that turns into an instant lounge chair, which will be on display at a design convention in Milan next month. "The importance of daydreaming has already been proven in studies," Assaf said. "It comes to remind us that every good thing needs its own time. When we are not obsessed by challenges, our brains make cognitive leaps. After thinking about this for some time I had a vision of a fragile-looking object, with a strong feel of hovering. The Daydream is designed for mental and physical relaxation. It is an object that allows us to break away from the hectic reality and remind ourselves how important it is to enjoy the moment."

Assaf also created an epic lounge chair for office lobbies and college campuses that allow people to either be alone or interact with one another, as you can see in the video below:

And so while falling asleep at work is nothing new (remember when George on "Seinfeld" created a napping desk while working for the Yankees?), you may want to take some precaution. Just watch what happened to Chandler on "Friends" when he fell asleep on the job:

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Benyamin Cohen
writes about everything from science to entertainment – and sometimes about dating apps for dogs.